Treading on Ice
by Lt. Basil
Summary: As much as Elsa wanted to trust Kristoff with her sister, the whole incident with Hans had left her a little... overly cautious. So forgive her if she just wanted to make sure that her sister's new suitor could be trusted. Kristanna, but from Elsa's POV.


**A/N: After seeing Frozen, I just HAD to write a one-shot for it, but my first attempt at one ended in miserable failure, sadly. This one turned out much better!**

Elsa wants to trust Kristoff. Really, she does. But after seeing the way that Hans deceived Anna, the Ice Queen can't help but worry that this boy might try to do something just as bad. The ice harvester doesn't _seem _like he would take advantage of her sister, but really, neither did the prince – not at first, anyway. And Elsa can't risk losing Anna again. Not so soon after getting her back again, not to mention so soon after finally being able to be around her without any fear of losing control and accidentally killing her this time. So as much as she wishes that Kristoff is sincere, she knows that she really can't afford to take the risk.

But Elsa doesn't want to hurt Anna, either. The princess is so fond of him, fonder by far than she was of Hans (and that's saying something, since she actually got _engaged _to him). Simply sending the man away would break her, not to mention that it would _ruin _their only recently renewed relationship. Still... Elsa cannot bring herself to trust him. The way that the villagers refer to him doesn't help – the wild mountain-dweller, the lone scoundrel, the troll-spawn, and so many other labels that are all synonymous with _dangerous. _But there are other reasons – Hans, of course, is at the forefront of her mind, but she also has never been too fond of ice harvesters in general. They are too rough, too wild, and not to mention a rowdy lot. Back before the gates had been closed, many had come to the castle to make demands of her father. None of them had been very... calm. Nowadays, half of the ice harvesters she sees in the streets are either slobbering drunk or high trying to get there.

She's had yet to see Kristoff do any such thing, but she can't rule anything out.

He doesn't match her typical view of ice harvesters. The boy is quiet, awkward, very shy and reserved, and hardly ever looks anybody in the eye when he talks to them – assuming that he even chooses to speak with them in the first place. He's also grumpy, whereas most of the other ice harvesters Elsa has met have been jolly to the point of being creepy. His social skills are mediocre at best, especially around royalty (this she doesn't mind as much, since she probably would have expected it anyway), but what really worries her is how reclusive he is. Everyone knows that Elsa has a tendency to shut people out, but the only time when talking to Kristoff doesn't give Elsa the distinct impression of trying to converse with a brick wall is when Anna joins in the conversation. Even then...

It seems like an act like that would be very difficult to play, but again, Hans was probably the best actor that there was, pretending that he was a perfect, affectionate gentleman and then leaving Anna to die on her own. Though Elsa had never liked Hans, she never would have guessed that he would go that far. Now, though, she knows to be careful. Every move that Kristoff makes, she carefully monitors, making sure that he doesn't try anything shady. Anna's protection is first priority, and she won't let herself be caught off guard should something happen.

But Elsa's fair. She figures that she should at least give Kristoff a chance to prove himself. She just doesn't know how to do that without him figuring out what she's trying to do. Because if he's a rat, he'll be able to figure out how to work around her watch and deceive them all again; but if he's sincere, he might be offended by her lack of faith in him. Either outcome seems like something she'd be best to avoid. How is she going to pull this off, though? That boy is a lot of things, but he sure isn't oblivious. Hiding things from him is difficult. Perhaps it's a necessary part of growing up on the mountain to be mindful of one's surroundings, or maybe he's just naturally observant; whatever the case, it's not easy to "get behind his back", as some would say.

Anna's birthday party is in two weeks. She's been begging to have a ball, since she can actually HAVE one now that the gates are open and Arendelle isn't trapped in eternal winter at the moment. Elsa would have thrown it anyway, as a sort of appeasement present for her little sister, but only now does she see the opportunity it poses. If she can get Kristoff to attend (assuming that Anna is unsuccessful in that area, of course), she can keep a close eye on the way he acts in close contact to a palace, to nobles, to everything that might suggest that he isn't as "in love" as Anna believes he is.

It's perfect.

XXX

The ball comes. Anna comes out in her favorite dark green gown, her flaming hair pinned up in an elaborate variant of a bun, and her blue eyes alight with excitement. Elsa laughs heartily with her sister as the guests arrive, chatting about anything from chocolate to their favorite gowns among the nobility to talking snowmen. Elsa notices Anna's eyes continuously flick back to the crowd as they converse, and she knows immediately who she's looking for. She's been watching out for him, too – though for an entirely different reason.

No one hears him come in. For all her watchfulness, Elsa probably never would have realized that he had arrived if Anna hadn't let out an excited squeak and waved him over. Turning, Elsa sees the man in question hurriedly making his way through the crowd of royals, flinching every time he brushes up against somebody. He is dressed in a tight black dress suit, which he keeps fingering at the throat with a huge grimace on his face, as if it is choking him. Nevertheless, when he sees Anna, his face splits into a wide grin, which instantly mirrored on the princess' face. In spite of herself, Elsa smiles as well. So far, he seems to be sincere. _So did Hans, _she reminds herself, quickly pushing down the pleasant feeling. There are still several more tests in store for him tonight.

Kristoff doesn't really dance, Elsa learns. When Anna asks him for one, he stares at his feet with a cherry-red face and mumbles something about having two left feet, but at Anna's insistence, he consents anyway. The queen intermingles with the other guests, trying to act at least somewhat accommodating and even accepts a few dances; but the entire time, she's watching Kristoff out of the corner of her eye. From here, she can see each of his pre-determined "tests" play out. Every single one is carried out while Anna isn't around, as instructed, since Hans' most opaque facade was the one he used while he was with her. For most of them, she'll have to wait to receive the reports from her assistants later, since his reactions are less obvious than they would be close up. But others he very obviously passes – Elsa was able to talk one of the wealthier princesses attending into hitting on him as one of his tests, and even from a distance, she can see the boy scowl and push the girl away. Anna shows up again shortly after and he's back to his usual stuttering, blushing self, but Elsa feels slightly more confident now. That was one of the most important tests, which he not only passed, but he aced. Still, only the last one will truly determine, at least in her mind, whether he is really sincere or not.

And then it comes. Near midnight, while Anna is playfully dancing with one of the youngest princes (seriously, the kid can't be any older than twelve years old – though he also doesn't seem to be hitting on her or anything), the queen sees her agent approach the ice harvester and pull him back into a corner, before beginning to speak to him in hushed tones. Forgetting all semblance of discreetness, Elsa watches the exchange closely, being sure not to miss any detail whatsoever. As the man continues to prattle on, Kristoff's eyes widen to a nearly immeasurable size. Then his gaze hardens, and he snaps something at the man with no lack of contempt before swiftly turning and marching off.

Elsa releases a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and wipes her brow. But she's smiling now, feeling more at ease than she has in – well, in her entire life. She has a feeling that there will be no need to investigate Kristoff further. If he's passed those two big tests, he's probably passed the others as well. There's no need to worry about his relationship with Anna anymore. If tonight's events are anything to go by, the queen has nothing to worry about.

Breathing easily at last, Elsa turns her attention away from Kristoff and back to the rest of the room. The party will be over in a few minutes, and she needs to be ready to send everyone out. Anna's excitement over the event is, as always, endearing, but it also tires Elsa out. Really, that girl needs to learn when it's time to _slow down. _If Elsa gets too stressed out, she might end up letting out another eternal winter in her frustration.

Goodness knows that she's seen enough of those to last her a lifetime.

**And we're done!**

**I thought that it would make sense for Elsa to be a little cautious of Kristoff at first, after the whole incident with Hans. She may be queen, but she's also a protective big sister ;) **


End file.
